#warreldane

Dead Heart in a Dead World was ostensibly more streamlined than previous Nevermore albums, with songs playing more like individual tracks than as part of an overarching concept or theme and Andy Sneap’s production focusing on the individual instruments over ambience.  All of this ended up giving the record more power, adding greater clarity without sacrificing any intensity.  Indeed, “We Disintegrate” was every bit as claustrophobic and violent as “The Seven Tongues of God”, but its purpose was easier to discern, as was the focused fury of Jeff Loomis and Van Williams.  And given the space to maneuver thanks to Sneap’s production, Warrel Dane sounded more dramatic and forceful than ever, even bringing back his Sanctuary-era wail in spots.  Although many longtime fans pointed to The Politics of Ecstasy and Dreaming Neon Black as Nevermore’s masterpieces, “We Disintegrate” helped make Dead Heart in a Dead World something of a minor breakthrough while maintaining their integrity.

I just found out that Ex-Nevermore,and Sanctuary frontman Warrel Dane has passed away (heart attack)a few days ago I was looking forward to see Sanctuary with Iced Earth in march but unfortunately it's not going to happen I glad I met him a few yrs ago at the Sanctuary show (Michigan show) was a cool person, he was 56th yrs old may you R.I.P Warrel😐 #smx #studmetalx #sanctuary #sanctuaryband #warreldane #nevermore #ripwarreldane #metalhead

Sanctuary seemingly arrived fully formed on Refuge Denied, carrying a clutch of focused ragers aided by a suitably cantankerous production from Dave Mustaine.  They weren’t thrash, and power metal wasn’t really a thing yet (or at least it hadn’t been labeled as such), but Warrel Dane and company were a step or two beyond traditional heavy metal, and they certainly weren’t hair metal. Ultimately, the band was a hellacious force of players that amped up the aggression while remaining focused and precise, and “Ascension to Destiny” captured all of that in full.  Dane shrieked with gale force intensity, and Lenny Rutledge’s riffing was able to match his fury, as were Dave Budbill’s drums. The track was fairly straightforward in its construction, and in lesser hands would’ve arguably been just another late ‘80s heavy metal tune.  But Sanctuary’s performance brought it to another level, storming and banging with a red-eyed malevolence that nearly matched Metallica in their prime.

“The Dreaming Mind” didn’t make it past demo form, but the 1992 session from whence it came showed that Nevermore didn’t take long to settle on the vision they would follow throughout their entire run.  This was well above and beyond Sanctuary in intensity, and Warrel Dane wisely abandoned his trademark dog-whistle wailing in favor of a melodramatic bellow.  But the X factor was Jeff Loomis, who had joined Sanctuary shortly before they disbanded, and had unsuccessfully tried to audition for Megadeth before they recorded Rust in Peace; based on the results here, Loomis was already working at another level entirely, shredding with uncommon ferocity and adding new layers of malevolence to metal guitar playing.  In some ways it felt like everyone was trying to outdo each other, while at the same time serving a common master. Metal wasn’t quite ready for this sound, and indeed it would take Nevermore a good 15 years or so before audiences really got what they were doing, but “The Dreaming Mind” showed they were well ahead of the curve in elevating both thrash and power metal.

Into the Mirror Black eased up on the hysteria of Refuge Denied a bit, but still felt like a logical next step for Sanctuary, as songs like “Long Since Dark” refined the first album’s approach into something a little more precise, while Warrel Dane set himself up for the rest of his career by leaning on his lower register- or at least, not wailing quite as loud or often.  But while Into the Mirror Black was retrospectively viewed as a stepping stone for Nevermore- and it was at least partly that, since Jeff Loomis joined toward the end of the album’s touring cycle- Sanctuary was also laying the groundwork for where American power metal evolve over the next 15 years or so by amping up the aggression of ‘80s metal without fully crossing over to thrash, while also increasing the technicality and detail in the playing without being fully prog.  In essence, tracks like “Long After Dark” were a natural progression for American metal as a whole, maintaining the genre’s core essence while also inching forward.

This Godless Endeavor overcorrected on the streamlined but muddy Enemies of Reality by pushing all of Nevermore’s unique qualities (the technicality and forcefulness of the musicianship, the drama and intensity of Warrel Dane’s vocals, and the band’s unrelenting heaviness) straight to the redline.  It wasn’t their best record, but it was arguably their most record, the one that, for better and worse, put absolutely everything on the table, thanks in no small part to Andy Sneap’s suffocating production.  To that end, even a more brisk and less epic number like “Medicated Nation” bordered on overwrought, since Dane was so melodramatic in his bellowing and Jeff Loomis was so pulverizing in his riffing and Van Williams was so intense in his drumming.  It was more than a bit much, but that didn’t prevent the song from working on its own terms: this was still progressive technical power metal of the highest order, and there was no disputing the quality of the writing and playing, which was staggering.  Dane may have crossed over to hysteria on more than one occasion, but he was a singular voice on the scene, and Loomis and Williams were easily among the best at what they did (not to discount Steve Smyth or Jim Sheppard, neither of whom were slouches by any stretch, it was just that their talents and contributions weren’t as immediately apparent).  In essence, there weren’t many tunes that had the technicality, drama, heaviness and singularity of “Medicated Nation”, and even at a little over 4 minutes, showcased everything that made Nevermore what they were.

The Politics of Ecstasy was one of those records that received a fair amount of acclaim upon its initial release, but was still ahead of its time in ways that are still being understood over 20 years later.  While the dense to the point of claustrophobic performance and production style has ebbed and flowed in and out of fashion, Nevermore’s second record never really aged, to the point where the album could’ve been released at any point in the 2000s and would likely have catapulted the band to success on par with Lamb of God.  Tracks like “This Sacrament” had that perfect alchemy of precision, intensity and unrelenting heaviness, with a never-better Warrel Dane doing away with his Sanctuary-era wailing once and for all in favor of a strident bellow that overwhelmed with its power and sense of drama.  And Dane’s vocals were equally matched by the sheer throttle of Jeff Loomis’ riffing and Van Williams’ haymaker drumming.  This was beyond heavy in 1996, and in full defiance of prevailing trends while remaining resolutely metal, and remains no less overpowering today.